Hola Mi Familia!,
Gung hei fat choy! (Happy Chinese New Year!) I ate my cereal with chopsticks this morning to celebrate. It is raining like CRAZY up here! I am loving it! Things have been really really good. Sometimes I can't even believe how blessed we are to be here in Loomis. It really is the BEST place on earth!!! The people are friendly and compassionate and they take their time to help one another. It’s unreal.
It has been such a wonderful opportunity to see people change their lives so completely. We meet with this family in the ward once a week. The Father is dying of cancer and doesn't have much longer left. They have 4 kids, 2 still at home. The Dad used to be inactive for several years and has really turned his life around. This family are excellent missionaries and, even in this time of trial, have been sharing the gospel with their friends. Their neighbor is now one of our investigators. He comes to church every week and always says his eyes start "leakin" when he walks in the door. He is a little rough around the edges and makes comments in Sunday school that are sometimes unexpected. But it’s amusing and he is really trying to "turn the page." (As he calls it) He is an alcoholic of 50 years now and we had a lesson last week on the word of wisdom. We talked about being clean and how important it is to take care of the body that God has given us. He committed to keep the Word of Wisdom and also committed to BAPTISM! We have not set a date yet but will soon. It’s going to take a lot of faith and hard work. But the look in his eyes when we told him that all of his sins could be wiped away was priceless. It seems foreign to him to think he could be "forgiven." It is so important to share what we know. To never assume it’s "common knowledge" or that we would be "bothering" someone by sharing our beliefs. This man struggled this week. It wasn't easy, and he made mistakes. But he is trying. I love what President Monson said in the last Ensign about courage. (The one Dad sent me) He said that, "courage is required to take those first initial steps toward your desired goal. But even GREATER courage is required when one falls and must make an additional attempt to succeed." I have fallen so many times in my life that I could probably never count. People often admire those people who seem to "ALWAYS" be perfect. "They are ALWAYS so nice, or ALWAYS so patient." In our lives sometimes it’s hard to ALWAYS be something. We mess up. We make mistakes. We set goals and sometimes fail to achieve them. But to me, I admire the people that keep going. The people that recognize their flaws and shortcomings and still get back up. I have had to, just like our investigator, continue to get back up. But I have seen blessings from it and a greater strength and resolve that comes into my life.
I love you all soooooooooo much! I loved your letter this week about the cannery. You have NO idea how important it is to just... share! You know? I am so proud of you Mom! Dad. Your email titles are one of my favorite parts of the week...."Skype Hangover, Football Scores...." Usually it’s all my companion can see when I print them out so she probably thinks your nuts. But that’s okay right? Haha. I love you guys. Thanks for all the advice and support! Keep it real and be sure to celebrate Chinese New Year for me and send me pics!
Love,
Sister Mitchell
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